My Son Called Me From The Hospital. When I Arrived, The Doctor Went Quiet And Said, “You Know He’s Our Chief Of Surgery… Right?”

thick with sleep. “What the hell—”

“My son’s at Mercy General. Right lower quadrant pain, fever, vomiting. Their attending is Leonard Vance. He’s trying to discharge him.”

There was a pause long enough to make my stomach drop. “Oh. Vance.”

“You know him.”

“Too well. Lazy. Profiles patients. Especially young men. If your kid looks like anything other than continue reading …